Dave Hodges | The Common Sense Show | Feb 15, 2017

The Oroville Dam crisis is a long way from being over. The threat to life and property remains in place regardless of what Gov. Jerry Brown says.

As I reported on 2/14/2017, the National Weather Service is forecasting 7 straight days of rain beginning on February 16th. This is when the first determination that can be made as whether the Oroville Dam will hold. Incredibly and irresponsibly, the decision to change the evacuation order from “to Reduce Immediate Evacuation Order to Evacuation Warning“. Some people are reporting that the evacuation order has been lifted, clearly, the reader can see that it has not (see the Butte County Sherrif’s tweet as published on Facebook, below).

No-Show Jerry Brown

Governor Jerry Brown has been a no-show, until February 14, with regard to this crisis, when his Water Reources Department issued a reduction in status to the previous evacuation order. This is a face-saving move designed to deflect attention away from the intense pressure generated by Paul Preston and myself on the office of the Governor. Paul Preston and myself have heard that statement multiple times in the last 24 hours. Previously, Brown stated that he would have no comment on the crisis. Brown took advantage of a couple of sunny days and the resulting slight drop in water levels at the dam to roll back the evacuation order. This move was purely political and has nothing to do with the actual crsisi which will reach a peak this weekend and early next week.

On February 14, the two articles/podcast I generated drew almost 200,000 views on The Common Sense Show, alone. Paul Preston and I were able to put attention where it belongs, which was squarely on a Governor who could care less about the welfare of 2 million people which could be potentially impacted. You will hear Paul Preston mention the effectiveness of our exposure in the podcast located at the end of the article.

Excerpt From the Butte County Sheriff

Below is an excerpt of a tweet from the Butte County Sheriff regarding the changing status of evacuation order.

Butte County Sheriff’s Office to Reduce Immediate Evacuation Order to Evacuation Warning

Due to lower lake levels, further inspections, ongoing work to shore-up the Oroville Dam emergency spillway and updated weather forecasts, effective at 1:00 p.m. today, the Evacuation Order for the Oroville Dam Spillway Incident has been reduced to an Evacuation Warning. Any resident displaced by the evacuation may return home at 1:00 p.m.; however all residents are advised to remain vigilant and prepared as conditions can rapidly change. People who have special needs or require extended time to evacuate should consider remaining evacuated. (EDITOR’S NOTE: THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE INDICATES THAT THIS CRISIS IS NOT OVER).
An Evacuation Warning means the immediate threat has ended but the potential for an emergency remains and therefore residents must remain prepared for the possibility of an Evacuation Order….

The Crisis Is Not Over

KCRA, Channel 3, Sacramento is reporting that although the evacuation order has been reduced in scope, the “Crisis is not over and there are a lot of unkowns”.

The TV report goes on to say that although the water is no longer spilling over the top of the dam, the crisis is not over because of the forecasted storms coming into the Oroville area beginning on February 16th. If one wants to see how dire the situation is, please click on Channel 3’s link, listed above.

Further, the evacuation for impacted areas related to the failing levees in Sacramento remains in effect. Should the Orovillle dam break, failing levees would greatly exacerbate the crisis for Sacramento and the flood waters could crest as high as 26 feet.

Conclusion

Although the Oroville Dam water levels have subsided by a few inches and the water is no longer spiling over the top of the dam, the spillways remain damaged and it is questionable as to whether they will holdiwth the impending storms.

This is not about being right or wrong with the prediction of an impending catastrophe. This about not gambling with the lives of 2 million people; The prudent thing to do would have consisted of evacuating the region in advance of the approaching storms to see what the dam was ultimately going to do. If Brown’s people have guessed wrong, this could be the worst disaster in American history. If the dam does hold and the interventions in addressing the failing status of the da,y who are self-evacuating today in advance of the storm. Shouldn’t the government also error on the side of precaution? As Paul Preston put it, “I want to be wrong about my feeling that the dam could fail. If it does fail, I will lose my home and everything that I own”.

Here is my most recent interview with Paul Preston and it is very revealing. Remember, Paul wants to be wrong as do I. It just seems that Gov. Jerry Brown could care less.

In the following interview, Paul Preston’s volume mysteriously kept dropping.